tooth colored fillings

A Better Way To Treat Cavities In Carmel, IN!

By on June 29, 2016

Hello and welcome to another June edition of the Really Smile blog!

If you have ever had a cavity, and based on the numbers you probably have, you will likely have had that decay treated with an age-old remedy: amalgam fillings.

One major complaint about silver amalgam fillings is that they are unattractive and draw unwanted attention. All that metal just looks out of place on the top of your otherwise pearly whites.

That was not the only problem with amalgam fillings.

It sounds counterintuitive but old-school fillings can actually weaken your tooth and cause damage to your smile. Plus, if you are allergic to metal or mercury in particular you may have a bad reaction to what is supposed to be a healing procedure.

But we have listened to your concerns, and we’ve made some changes at our Carmel, Indiana dental office. We are here to tell you that now is the time to come in and replace any old and damaged fillings with a more attractive and natural-looking alternative: tooth colored fillings!

Forward-Looking Treatments For Tooth Decay

Tooth-colored fillings are a modern dental solution that can enhance both the health and appearance of your smile. To place your tooth colored fillings, we simply remove any decayed portions of the tooth or teeth in question and apply a bonding agent. The filling is then sculpted into the right shape and light cured to bond with the tooth surface.

Tooth-colored fillings are increasingly popular around here and it is not surprising when you consider the improvements they have facilitated for restorative dentistry.

No More Metal Mouth

As we pointed out, the amalgam fillings that were relied on in earlier eras of dentistry have a silver color, while a composite filling can be made to blend in with your tooth color.

Safer Supplies

Mercury is not something that most folks want to put in their mouth. Fortunately, the new and improved composite material is made from safer materials, and relies on a strong resin to restore your smile.

Better Bonding

Amalgam fillings are very strong, in a certain sense.

However, that kind of filling won’t actually bond with your tooth. This results in weakened teeth eventually.

By contrast, tooth-colored fillings are made from bonding material, so your filling will bond to the inside of your tooth, making for a longer-lasting restoration that won’t cause trouble later on.

Take The Next Step!

We hope that you have been inspired by today’s post!

To determine if your teeth need fillings or if old fillings ought to be replaced, your best bet is to schedule a checkup and consultation. That way Dr. Smith and the rest of our team can assess your unique situation and create a personalized plan of action.

To get started, contact us online or call our Carmel, Indiana dental office at 317-597-8748!

Old Fillings: What Can Go Wrong?

By on February 25, 2016

Did you know that over 90 percent of people will end up with a cavity in their lives? That means the odds are pretty good that you have a filling. With how normal they are there’s still a serious deficit of understanding when it comes to fillings: many people never seem to worry about how long they last.

At Really Smile Dentistry we advocate regular checks of your dental fillings, especially if they’re old metal amalgam ones. The average filling only lasts about ten years, so if you have fillings older than that you need to watch out for potential problems!

What Can Go Wrong With Fillings

You probably don’t even think about your fillings on a regular basis, much less worry about their shelf life. Once a filling passes the decade mark there are some pretty good reasons to have it replaced. If not you’re putting the health of the filled tooth in jeopardy.

Cement: It’s Not Forever

Metal amalgam fillings can’t bond to your teeth at all, so they have to be cemented in place. The cement that is used to attach them is strong, and the chances of the filling actually falling out are incredibly slim. What does happen, however, is that the cement wears away near the surface of your tooth.

As the cement wears away you’re left with small, nearly undetectable gaps between the filling and your tooth. Those gaps are open invitations for bacteria to get inside and start causing tooth decay. Cavities on the insides of your teeth can be disastrous, especially since they’re so hard to detect!

Without treatment an internal cavity can end up breaking through the surface of the tooth, causing brittleness, increasing the risk of fracture, or necessitating the placement of a crown. Don’t let your fillings go too long: they can cost you a tooth!

Fractures You’ll Never See

Bones are designed to flex just the slightest bit. If they weren’t you would have to constantly worry about fractures, breaks, and injuries. Your teeth function the exact same way: they flex a little bit to distribute the forces of chewing and other pressures on your teeth. Guess what doesn’t flex at all? Metal amalgam fillings.

Over the life of a filling your tooth is subjected to a lot of force, and the longer the filling is there the greater your chances of microfractures. These tiny, undetectable cracks in your teeth increase your chances of decay, tooth loss, and severe pain.

Because microfractures are so difficult to diagnose they can easily go undetected until they spread, resulting in an unstable tooth that has to be crowned or extracted (depending on the extent of the damage).

Filling Fractures

Your teeth can crack from fillings, and that’s not all: fillings can break too. Metal amalgam is strong, but it isn’t indestructible. A worn filling can crack, and when it does you can end up with the same problems you have with a cracked tooth.

Inspecting your fillings at regular cleanings and exams is essential to your continued oral health. While some of the filling problems you may have are difficult to notice it’s better to know that serious ones, like cracked fillings, aren’t present!

Filling Replacements That Work

We use dental composite fillings at our Carmel office. These tooth colored, invisible fillings are the next evolution in dental filling material, correcting many of the problems that metal filings face.

Composite flexes and bends with your teeth for even distribution of force. This helps to avoid microfractures.
Unlike metal amalgam, composite bonds directly to your teeth, eliminating the need for cement and eliminating the risks of it wearing away!
Composite is harder to break because it’s a bit more malleable, reducing the risk of cracked or damaged fillings.

While dental composite fillings still have a limited life they are a superior choice to metal. They’re built to blend seamlessly with your teeth, are color-matched, and simply work better!

Don’t Take Chances With Old Fillings

If you have a filling that is over a decade old you need to have it inspected at Really Smile Dentistry. Regular cleanings and exams are the best time for us to take a look at your fillings and create a record of your care that will allow us to always know when your fillings’ time is up.

Don’t let a filling ruin your teeth: make an appointment with us today by calling 317-597-8748! You can also request a visit by filling out our online form. We look forward to seeing you soon!

New Year, New You: Get The Smile Of Your Dreams!

By on January 9, 2016

If you’re planning to turn over a new leaf in the new year there’s probably a lot of things you’re thinking about. Maybe you want to change your hairstyle, or your fashion. Perhaps you want to be more social or finally chase that dream job. No matter what you want to do to improve your life in 2016 there’s something that can only make each opportunity better: a winning smile.

Like it or not your look says a lot about you, and one of the most noticed aspects of your look is your smile. If you aren’t confident with it and keep it hidden that says a lot about you! At Really Smile Dentistry we want to help you by transforming your smile into something you’re proud of. The change that cosmetic dentistry can create is truly amazing – you wouldn’t believe how it could change your life!

What Do You Want To Change?

The benefits of cosmetic dentistry all come down to what you want to change. In most cases we can completely transform you smile with just a single treatment. Some patients come to us wanting more than just one major change and we can still help those people too!

Cosmetic dentistry all has one thing in mind: helping you look your best so that you feel your best. Don’t think of cosmetic dental care as only for people with vanity issues. Your teeth are a fundamental part of your look and you deserve to be happy with them! Don’t settle for a smile that you only tolerate when you could have one you celebrate.

Think about each and every time you were made to feel self conscious about your smile. Did someone say something to you? Did a glimpse in the mirror remind you of the part of your smile you hate? It doesn’t matter what caused it: being self conscious about your smile shows.

When you meet someone for the first time and they give you a bright, warm smile you’re immediately drawn to that person. Contrast that with a tight-lipped smile that doesn’t show any teeth: it just doesn’t look as friendly no matter how pleasant it is! if you’re smiling like that it doesn’t mean something is wrong with you but that won’t stop people from noticing and making their own judgements.

These are the kinds of things we want to help you change with cosmetic dentistry: all the smile flaws that you think need to be transformed. The truth of the matter is that the look of your teeth doesn’t mean anything compared to how you feel about them. Think of your cosmetic care not only as a way to look better, but as a way to achieve peace of mind as well.

Get A New Smile, Feel Good About You

So what do you want to change? Chances are we can make it happen with one of these great services.

Invisalign uses clear plastic trays to straighten your teeth without anyone knowing: when they say invisible they mean it. You could get the look you’ve been dreaming of in just about year – that’s half the time of traditional braces!

Teeth whitening is the kind of service where “you get what you pay for,” and we strongly advise against paying for an over-the-counter product. We use advanced products, professional strength gels, and custom-formed whitening trays to get you results that will really amaze you.

Veneers are like false nails for your teeth. These ultra-thin layers of porcelain are permanently attached to the front of your teeth and can radically transform your appearance. Think brighter, straighter, perfectly shaped, and long-lasting. That’s veneers.

Fillings made of metal are a thing of the past. We use modern dental composite to fill your teeth without any visible difference between the filling and your natural tooth. You’ll be able to show off that smile and no one will ever know that you have a single filling.

That’s Just The Tip Of The Cosmetic Iceberg

those are just some of the cosmetic treatments we offer – there’s plenty more where that came from. What we can do with our offerings is to truly change your smile and your life. Our slogan, life changing dentistry, is there for a reason: we believe in empowering you, our patient, to live better. Whether that means whiter teeth or a complete smile makeover we’ll make it happen.

Take control of your smile and your future by scheduling a consultation with us today. You can reach our Indianapolis area dentist office by calling 317-597-8748 or you can request an appointment by filling out our online form. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Should You Replace Those Old Fillings?

By on November 29, 2015

If you’re like the majority of adults you probably have at least one filling. Many of us are still sporting old silver amalgam fillings made years ago too! You know the ones – ugly, grey, and probably a bit sensitive to temperatures too. It may not cross your mind that those fillings have a limited life but it’s true – you might even be near the end of their effectiveness!

At Really Smile in Carmel we want to help you have a healthy set of teeth for years to come. If you’ve had a filling placed that has been there for more than ten years you should have it inspected to be sure it’s still doing a good job. There are some bad side effects from old fillings!

What Are Amalgam Fillings?

Metal amalgam is a mix of various metals, including silver, copper, mercury, and tin. the mixture is about half mercury due to its ability to bond the other metals and create a stable, long-lasting restoration. They have been in use for centuries and records exist of its use all over the world!

Despite common fears about mercury amalgam fillings aren’t actually dangerous at all. In fact, eating seafood once a week will actually raise your mercury levels higher than what an amalgam filling will secrete!

It’s also important to consider the form of mercury delivery. The harm from mercury is primarily due to mercury vapor, which isn’t a problem for people with amalgam fillings!

If They’re Safe Then Why Replace Them?

There’s no such thing as an indestructible material! While amalgam fillings can last a long time they still wear out and the cement that holds them in place washes away as well. One of the most common findings among people with old amalgam fillings is that bacteria gets below the surface of the filling and causes further decay inside of the tooth!

Amalgam fillings also shrink and expand in a different way than natural teeth. Not only can this lead to more cavity-causing gaps, it can also lead to microfractures when stress and pressure are placed on your teeth! You may not realize it but your teeth could have a lot of tiny fractures in them caused by your fillings!

It all boils down to the fact that amalgam, while useful, is an old technology. It’s ugly, potentially harmful, and can lead to serious problems when it starts to wear out! That’s why our Carmel office doesn’t do amalgam fillings. We offer advanced tooth-colored dental composite fillings instead!

Tooth Colored Fillings: The State-Of-The-Art Choice!

Our tooth colored fillings are a great alternative to dental amalgam! Made from a composite mix of glass and plastic dental composite fillings are invisible, long lasting, and completely safe! Most patients who get a composite filling look in the mirror and can’t figure out where it is!

We can remove your old amalgam fillings safely and painlessly. In many cases patients who have an amalgam filling removed will be able to simply have it replaced with a new composite one! There are some instances in which an old filling will need to be replaced with a crown but these cases are uncommon.

Composite fillings have numerous advantages over amalgam! Not only do they look great but they also don’t need to be as large! Dental composite is formulated to bond to your teeth so there won’t be the need for additional drilling to create anchor points! We also won’t need to use cement, so there won’t be any gaps to be created later on!

The best thing about composite is how it acts like natural tooth! When your teeth flex, contract, or expand the composite will do the same. That means forces are distributed better and there’s far less risk for microfractures and invisible damage!

Don’t Let Those Fillings Go Unchecked!

All it takes is a little bit of damage to destroy a tooth with an old filling! Don’t take chances with your oral health when we can replace your old fillings in no time at all! Contact Really Smile in Carmel to take care of your filled teeth!

You can reach our office by calling 317-597-8748 or by filling out our online appointment request form. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Old Fillings Contain Mercury!

By on May 12, 2015

Did you know that the dental industry generates about 4 tons of mercury waste every year? That’s more than most other industries, and it all comes from fillings for cavities.

Mercury is a serious pollutant, and it’s found in our water, our food, and even in the air we breathe. It also makes up about 50% of the filling material in your mouth. Even though it’s called silver amalgam, it actually contains very little silver at all. It contains small amounts of other metals as well, but half of it is mercury.

At Really Smile, we care about the health of our patients and the health of the environment. Mercury waste will make its way from our office into the local water cycle. It starts in Carmel, IN but who knows where it will end up next?

One of the ways that we can make a difference as dental professionals is to reduce or eliminate the stream of mercury waste leaving our office. The best way for us to do that is to take the silver amalgam out of the equation when it comes to filling cavities. Amalgam-free fillings are better for the environment, and they have other advantages as well.

What’s the difference?

Silver amalgam is old technology. Very old, in fact: silver amalgam has been the standard filling material used to repair cavities and teeth damaged by decay for 150 years. It became popular because mercury makes silver amalgam very strong (so it’s able to handle the punishment your teeth dole out while you’re chewing) and it’s also pretty cheap.

They do have some problems though:

They require lots of drilling:

You’ve already got a cavity, but to get it filled, your dentist needs to use a drill to make the whole big enough so that the filling can be placed. The hole also needs to be shaped to make sure that the filling stays in place. All this drilling also means that you’re losing a lot of the tooth that’s still healthy.

They’re unattractive:

Silver amalgam fillings aren’t called “silver” because they look that way. Silver amalgam fillings are very visible (as black marks on your teeth) and can have a negative impact on your smile.

They may even be dangerous!

In addition to being an environmental pollutant, mercury is a neurotoxin that can cause lots of health problems, including brain damage. If you have a silver amalgam filling, that dangerous toxin is in your mouth, and what’s worse, it slowly releases mercury vapor into your body the whole time it’s in!

Amalgam-free fillings, on the other hand:

Less drilling:

Don’t require as much drilling, because they bond to the tooth itself; amalgam-free fillings don’t depend as much on the shape of the hole so they stay in place much better than silver amalgam fillings. That means that the process of installing an amalgam-free filling is much more comfortable for our patients!

Look much better than silver amalgam:

Looks are important, and amalgam-free fillings are just better looking than traditional fillings. In our practice, we offer tooth-colored composite resin fillings. Composite resin comes in many shades, and your dentist will select one that best matches the natural color of your teeth.

Safer than silver amalgam!

Amalgam-Free means fillings are also better for the environment by reducing the mercury in our office’s waste stream to zero. They’re also better for you and your family because they pose no risk to your health!

I need a filling or I’m considering replacing old ones. What should I expect in the office?

First, your dentist will give you a thorough examination to determine if you need to have your fillings replaced. Fillings that are old can lose their fit, and that will leave open space between the filling and the tooth. Food particles and bacteria enter this space and cause your already damaged tooth to decay even more.

After the examination, your dentist will help you to make the best choice for your smile and your specific needs (health and otherwise).

Your dentist will place your filling. Tooth-colored fillings are made of resin, a kind of plastic that’s strong enough and safe enough to be used in any tooth no matter where it’s located. Thanks to advancements in plastics technology, resin is now strong enough to be used in the back teeth, where most of the work of chewing and grinding food is done.

Make an appointment today!

A toothache can mean a cavity or worse; make an appointment now to avoid greater pain (not to mention expense) later!

You can reach us by phone at 317-597-8748, or you can click here to use our online appointment form.

Remember: the longer you wait, the worse it will get!

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